On February 22 Council agenda there is a report on the Stateview (High Crown Estates) development on east side of Keele south of Dennison. As I review below this application has been active for 2 years.  The timing for this report is that a LPAT (local planning area tribunal) is scheduled for June 2021; hence it is appropriate to advise the public as to how the proposal has evolved and to hear comments.   To access the report and all appendices see the meeting agenda and scroll down.  There was a public meeting for this application in March 2019.  At that point I expressed serious concern about the intensity and the encroachment into the buffers.  Two years later I still have those concerns.  If you want to make a deputation register at clerks@king.ca or  905-833-4068 by noon on February 22; to send in your comments, same email and timing. 

The density is less but it is still too high as they are asking for 40 units/ha.   The subject land is zoned as an established neighbourhood in our recently approved official plan; as such the density should be no different than it is currently.  (i.e. you can knock down a house but you can only replace it with one new house.) If you compare it to the OP in force (i.e. the King City Community Plan) no increase in density is allowed.   The KCCP permits a density of 25 units/ha in those areas which are identifed as medium density which includes the lands north of King Road/west Dufferin and where the condominium is today on south side of King Road. In summary, this level of intensification was deliberately and carefully not planned for the area north of Dennison; neither is it contemplated on the other side of Keele.  South on both sides of Keele it is designated differently but not for this level of density; on west side it zoned village core in new OP and on east side its zoned mixed use. (See schedule D-1 in the new OP.)

The proposal does not  respect our commitment to 3o meters of buffers for heritage features.  As noted in the report our approved OP does contemplate that there may be reductions for “pinch ponts” and there can be compensation for such when it cannot be avoided.  I don’t believe this application meets either of these conditions.  I was introduced to the concept of “pinch points” in the early planning days of the Northeast Landowners development.  In those lands there is the Eaton Hall Creek which on occasion juts way out; we accepted that the 30 meters should not be mesured from the end of the jut.  I don’t accept that this situations is comparable.  And,  indeed encroaching into the buffer can be avoided:  build fewer units.

I also am not comfortable that concerns re: traffic implications have been adquately resolved.

Its unfortunate that this is going to the LPAT as this means that Council is no longer the approver.  And it is going to be expensive for the taxpayer. I note that in the report it says that 15 days have been booked for the hearing.  As I said at the beginning. Council will be giving to direction to Legal and Planning Staff in a closed meeting.

Finally I do want to acknowledge that the development of this land, and the “turmoil” and uncertainty for the neighbourhood of what is going to be built has gone on since 2016, perhaps longer.   Land was aquired and then resold; plans have been submitted and then changed.  It is unfortunate.